Ironmonger Row Baths

{{Infobox building

| image = Ironmonger row baths.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| building_type = {{Plainlist|

Public wash house
Turkish bath

}}

| facilities = steam room, hot rooms, massage slabs, plunge pool, launderette

| location = St Luke's, Islington, London

| location_country = England

| address = 1–11 Ironmonger Row

| coordinates = {{coord|51.526643|-0.094830|display=inline,title}}

| operator = Greenwich Leisure Limited

| owner =

| opened_date = {{Start date|1931}}

| closed_date =

| renovation_date =

| website = {{URL|https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/islington/ironmonger-row-baths}}

| designations = Grade II Listed

| architect = AWS & KMB Cross

}}

Ironmonger Row Baths were built in two phases. The first, a public wash house and slipper baths,[http://www.victorianturkishbath.org/_F0GLOSSARY/AtoZGloss/Slipper/SlipperEng.htm The slipper bath]. Victorian Turkish baths: their origin, development, and gradual decline Retrieved 5 June 2024. opened in 1931. The second phase, comprising the main swimming pool, the children's pool, and Victorian-style Turkish baths, opened in 1938. They are located at Ironmonger Row, in the St Luke's district, near Old Street, Islington, London.

Description

The baths include a steam room, a Victorian-style Turkish bath{{cite web|title=Ironmonger Row Turkish Baths|url=http://www.victorianturkishbath.org/_6DIRECTORY/AtoZEstab/London/Iron/LonIronEng.htm|website=Victorian Turkish baths|accessdate=26 September 2015}} comprising a series of three hot rooms of varying temperature, marble slabs for massage and body scrubbing and an icy plunge pool.{{cite news |title=Bath Time: Faded grandeur, a few hours' relaxation and the chance to pick up delicious gossip. Esther Oxford samples the pleasures of Turkish baths for women |last=Oxford |first=Esther |date=3 August 1994 |newspaper=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/bath-time-faded-grandeur-a-few-hours-relaxation-and-the-chance-to-pick-up-delicious-gossip-esther-oxford-samples-the-pleasures-of-turkish-baths-for-women-1381013.html}} In addition there are two relaxation areas.{{cite news | title=The Escape guide: 50 best spas | last=Mowbray | first=Nicole | date=22 January 2006 | publisher=The Observer | url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2006/jan/22/restandrelaxation.healthandwellbeing.observerescapesection | quote=These baths, in a Thirties building near Old Street, are far from luxurious but retain a charm with their dark wood and velvet-curtained relaxation area. Be sure to have a scrub, carried out with simple soap and a scrubbing brush on a marble slab. There are male- and female-only days. }} The swimming pool is 100 feet (slightly over 30 metres) long. There is a small sauna next to the pool, as well as a well equipped modern gym located within the building. There is also a communal laundry facility (launderette) in the building.

Extensive renovations to the entire building were carried out between May 2010 and December 2012.{{cite web|url= http://www.islington.gov.uk/involved/consultation-engagement/consultationresults/Pages/irb.aspx|title= Refurbishment of Ironmonger Row Baths|accessdate= 2012-01-06|date= 2008-10-19|publisher= Islington Council|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120328181339/http://www.islington.gov.uk/involved/consultation-engagement/consultationresults/Pages/irb.aspx|archive-date= 2012-03-28|url-status= dead}} A fire in December 2021 destroyed one of the restored saunas and caused damage to the basement of the building.{{Cite web|last=Patterson|first=Sally|date=2022-01-06|title=Video: Fire breaks out at leisure centre|url=https://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/old-street-ironmonger-row-baths-fire-8603700|access-date=2022-01-30|website=Islington Gazette|language=en-UK}}{{Cite web|date=6 January 2022|title=Fire at leisure centre - Islington|url=https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/incidents/2022/january/fire-at-leisure-centre-islington/|access-date=30 January 2022|website=London Fire Brigade}}

The facility operates numerous programs, including a branch of the Tom Daley Diving Academy.

History

The baths were designed by architects AWS & KMB Cross, built in 1931, and extended in 1938. They have been managed by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) since the 2012 refurbishment.

From just after the Second World War until the new complex at Crystal Palace was built in the late 1960s, the baths were the home of the world-famous Highgate Diving Club, who held their club night there every Friday and also met during the public sessions on Saturday mornings. The Olympic diver, Brian Phelps(winner of the bronze medal for highboard diving in the 1960 Olympics) trained there regularly with his coach, Wally Orner, as did many of the club's international and Olympic divers, such as John Chandler, John Cooze, John Miles, Billy Wood, and Alun Roberts.

It was listed grade II in November 2006 and is located within St. Luke's Conservation Area.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}

=Timeline=

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Event

1931

|Public Baths. Finsbury Metropolitan Borough Council, Proprietors (Proprs). Turkish Baths planned in the basement

1938

|Public Baths. Finsbury Metropolitan Borough Council (Proprs). Extension, including Turkish baths, opened 22 October

1950

|During the 1950s and early 1960s the facilities included 'slipper baths' where local residents with no home bath or shower could take a hot bath. There was also a communal laundry area with open wash troughs and slabs.

1966

|Ironmonger Row Baths. London Borough of Islington (Proprs, following merger of Finsbury and Islington Metropolitan Boroughs). Including Turkish baths

1990

|Finsbury Leisure Complex. London Borough of Islington (Proprs). Including newly refurbished Ironmonger Row Turkish baths

2007

|A notorious fight scene from director David Cronenberg's film, Eastern Promises, was filmed on a custom setPer DVD commentary. based on the Ironmonger Row Baths, which involved Viggo Mortensen's character fighting Chechen gangsters to the death in the steam room.{{cite news |title=Film: Grievous bodily harm |last=French |first=Philip |date=28 October 2007 |newspaper=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/oct/28/features.review1 | quote=The film's unforgettable climax sees two knife-wielding Chechen criminals in black leather attacking the naked Nikolai in Ironmonger Row municipal steam baths (renamed Finsbury Public Baths in the film), turning the place into an abattoir as the other bathers run for their lives. }}

2009

|£16 million refurbishment plan announced. The work is planned for completion in 2012.{{cite news|publisher=The Evening Standard (London)|date=May 18, 2009|title=£16M To Scrub Up Capital's Oldest Turkish Baths|quote=Plans to restore the 71-year-old art deco Ironmonger Row Baths are expected to be approved by Islington on Thursday. The council will contribute £12 million and the Government almost £4 million... It is hoped the work will be completed by 2012.}}

2010

|Baths closed for refurbishment in May 2010.

2012

|Refurbishment finished

Archival records

Islington Local History Centre holds plans, photographs and commemorative material related to Ironmonger Row Baths.{{Cite web

|url=http://www.islington.gov.uk/islington/history-heritage/heritage_lhc/lhc_collections/Pages/localhistorycollections.aspx?extra=8

|title=Local History Collections

|publisher=Islington Local History Centre

|accessdate=28 Sep 2013

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029195858/http://www.islington.gov.uk/islington/history-heritage/heritage_lhc/lhc_collections/Pages/localhistorycollections.aspx?extra=8

|archive-date=29 October 2013

|url-status=dead

}}

References

External links

{{official website|http://www.better.org.uk/areas/islington/centres/ironmonger-row-baths}}
[http://www.victorianturkishbath.org/_6DIRECTORY/AtoZEstab/London/Iron/LonIronEng.htm Entry in Victorian Turkish Baths]

Category:Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Islington

Category:Swimming venues in London

Category:Public baths in the United Kingdom

Category:Victorian Turkish baths

Category:Saunas

Category:Day spas

Category:Tourist attractions in the London Borough of Islington